Snow on the coast. White-out conditions in the Sierra. California's wild winter continues with new storms

Caltrans

The Grapevine reopened early Monday after a storm closed the 5 Freeway on Sunday. This file photo shows a ramp to the interstate during another storm in January that also forced the roadway to close.

The Grapevine reopened early Monday after a storm closed the 5 Freeway on Sunday. This file photo shows a ramp to the interstate during another storm in January that also forced the roadway to close. (Caltrans)

Times Staff

California’s wet winter is getting wilder.

Over the weekend, it snowed in parts of coastal Humboldt, creating white winter conditions in Eureka and Arcata.

Snow closed major roads in the Sierra as well as the Tejon Pass in Southern California, jamming Interstate 5 traffic Sunday.

And another powerful storm is going to barrel into California beginning Tuesday. Here’s what to expect:

Southern California

Below-normal temperatures are expected through next week throughout Southern California. Another storm is predicted to hit the region Wednesday and continue through Thursday, and resume late Friday night and into Saturday, forecasters said.

“We are still in a storming pattern where every few days we get some rain,” said Kathy Hoxsi, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “And because each storm brings in a fresh round of cold air, we are going to be chilly for a while.”

Sunday’s storm brought so much snow that the Grapevine was closed for hours.

Northern California

The “atmospheric river,” which has brought a lot of rain and snow to the region this year, will return Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Strong winds and heavy rain meaning power outages and flooding, with a chance of landslides,” the National Weather Service said in a statement.

A flood watch is in effect through Thursday in large swaths of the Central Valley. The “biggest concerns are moderate rises in small streams and urban flooding with the potential for ponding on roads,” the weather service said.

Heavy snow is expected in the Sierras Wednesday.

Many parts of Northern California are already far ahead of average rainfall totals for the year. And the latest storm will boost those numbers.

Snowing on the coast

… And before we go, here are some images of the coastal snow over the weekend in Eureka and Arcata.

Officials said it was the first time it snowed this much along the beach area since 2002.